CHARLIE (from Shoot The Piano Player)

CHARLIE (from Shoot The Piano Player) by George Delerue.

Charlie's theme opens Truffaut's second film, Shoot The Piano Player. I've long known this movie as "Bob Dylan's favorite movie" on the basis of having heard that somewhere. (Or possibly because Dylan namechecked it in the liner notes to The Times They Are A-Changin':

there's a movie called
Shoot the Piano Player
the last line proclaimin'
"music, man, that's where it's at"
it is a religious line
outside, the chimes rung
an' they
are still ringin')

Be that as it may, this tune is so mesmerizing. The way it's written and played it seems to loop around on itself so as soon as it comes to the end, I have an impulse to start it up again. Usually when I read about this tune it's described as "honky-tonk." I don't really agree. I mean, maybe it has some formal characteristics of honky-tonk, but there's something so twitchy and nervous about it. It's catchy but it doesn't really swing like I would think honky-tonk piano should. Who knows. Fun stuff regahdless. P.S. Charles Aznavour is a god. Off to D.C. for the day, so see you Friday morning!

LISTEN.

Photo: Houston median.